Juan Pablo Montoya believes George Russell is overanalysing his driving, while his Mercedes teammate and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli is letting his driving unfold naturally. The comments come ahead of the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit in Madrid, where Antonelli holds a 66-point advantage over Russell.
Mercedes celebrated a 1-2 finish at last week's Italian Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli claiming victory in front of his home crowd after starting 19th on the grid, while Russell had to settle for second. The dramatic win further strengthened Antonelli's position at the top of the standings.
Speaking on the F1 TV Weekend Warm-Up show, Montoya highlighted the difference in approach between the two drivers. "He needs to learn and understand why it works so well for Kimi," Montoya said of Russell. "The medium tyres were a little better than people expected on speed, especially as they got older. Actually, the speed stayed, there was really no degradation on those tyres. I think George is trying to overanalyse everything with the driving. He wants to do everything so right."
Montoya added that Antonelli is letting it happen more naturally. "Kimi is just going for it, and things are working out. It's like whatever he's doing is working, and it's really hard to beat Kimi because he doesn't seem to get it wrong. His wrongs end up being right," the Colombian said.
Russell, known for his perfectionism, often gets caught up in deep analysis. Montoya suggested that Russell should change his approach to tyre management. "George needs to understand the way he's managing the tyres, maybe he needs to be a little more aggressive and just keep trying. He's got the guy there. He's got the information. And I think it's a good lesson for George to get himself to a better level. The speed is not the question. It's how the execution is happening," he explained.
With a 66-point lead, Antonelli is in a very strong position. However, George Russell still has many races to turn things around. The Spanish Grand Prix at Madring will be the next test for both Mercedes drivers to show who is superior in terms of consistency and race management.
The internal Mercedes battle is intriguing. Can Russell overcome his tendency to overthink and start matching Antonelli's performance? Or will Antonelli continue to dominate with his relaxed style? All will be answered on track.
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